Tiltable trap chamber powder dispensing device



June 17, 1947. E. M. SCHARA TILTABLE TRAP CHAMBER POWDER DISPENSING DEVICE Fil ed Oct. 19, 1944 EARL M. Suzanna Patented June 17, 1947 TELTABLE TRAP CHANIBER POWDER DISPENSING DEVICE Earl M. Schara, Washington, D. C.

Application October 19, 1944, Serial No. 559,442

6 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing receptacles or containers and more particularly to containers for tooth powder or the like having means for the insertion of a brush and means for discharging upon the brush the desired quantity of material without waste.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved dispensing device of this type which is of simple and sturdy construction, having no valves, gates, or other moving parts to manipulate or be liable to get out of order.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing container for material of the nature described, which comprises a storage compartment and an auxiliary dispensing compartment disposed alongside of the storage compartment, means being provided for the insertion of a brush into the auxiliary compartment, and openings leading from the storage compartment to the auxiliary compartment through which a predetermined quantity of material may pass from the storage compartment to the auxiliary compartment at the lower part thereof and then shower down upon the brush when the container is inverted.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention contemplates the provision of a box or container having a main compartment adapted to contain the bulk of the powder and an auxiliary compartment separated from the main compartment by a partition of novel construction and function, the auxiliary compartment generally being the smaller of the two and adapted to receive the brush to which the powder is to be applied. This compartment is preferably widest at its midportion where the brush is inserted and is narrowed toward its upper and lower ends by the inclination of the partition at those points. The inclined or overhanging portions of the partition are provided with openings through which some powder may pass into the auxiliary compartment. Then when the container is inverted this small quantity of powder showers down upon the brush positioned in the mid-portion of the compartment, any excess falling to the bottom of the compartment from whence it may either be returned to the main compartment by a tilting of the container or it may again be dropped upon the brush upon the inversion of the container.

Among the more specific objects of the invention are the provision of a dispensing container of this character in which the auxiliary compartment i provided with its own side walls as well as the beforementioned partition which comprises its end wall; one in which a simple partition is provided, the outer walls of the container comprising the side walls of the auxiliary compartment; and one in which the auxiliary compartment is disposed upon the side of the container remote from the opening through which the brush is introduced, whereby the possibility of loss of powder from the container is further diminished.

Within the scope and intent of the invention, the novel receptacle may be comprised by the original package as packed at the factory and sold to the trade, or it may be a relatively permanent dispensing receptacle to be filled and refilled by the user from a bulk supply of powder.

Other objects of the invention, including the provision of means for supporting the brush from the container when it is not in use, will be understood from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of a dispensing container embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section of the container, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a View in end elevation of the same container;

Figure 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a modified form of the container;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View of still another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a horizontal central sectional view of the container shown in Figure 6.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, it will be seen that the container indicated generally by the reference numeral it in these figures comprises a main body portion II which may be rectangular in vertical section and either rectangular or oval shaped in horizontal section, and upper and lower closures l2 and i3 which are provided with rims or flanges M which embrace the margins of the body portion l l. The container may be made of any suitable material such as sheet metal, pasteboard, or plastic; and the top and bottom closures I2 and i3 may be either removable or Permanently secured in place upon the body portion H after the as the parts H, l2, and IS. The member i8 comprises an end wall 19 having a central vertical portion 29 and. upper and lower inclined portions 2i and 22. The member IS also includes the side wall portions 2 1 and 25 which are secured as at 26 and 2'1 to the inner walls of the body portion H of the container adjacent one end thereof.

The extreme upper and lower portions of the inclined walls 25 and 22 of the partition Ill are slotted as at 38 to a predetermined depth to provide communication between the stora e compartment l5 and the upper and lower ends of the auxiliary compartment l6. Directly opposite the central yerticalwall portion 29 of the partitioned wall [9 there-is formed an opening 33 in the outer wall of the member H through whichthe tooth brush lll'may be introduced] This opening 33 may be sealed at the factory by a readily removable patch 34 or other closure so as to prevent loss ojfany of the contents of'the container.

The operation of the device will be readily 11D: derstood. With the containe in the position shown in Figure 1 "of the drawings, a small regulated quantity of powder will fall through the lowermost 'slot' 353 into the then lower portion of the auxiliary or'disp'e'nsing compartment H5. The brush is inserted male opening 33 and then the container I9 is "inverted so that the previously lower portion of the compartment Hi becomes the upper portion so that the powder therein falls downwardly upon the bristles of the brush 4E3, any excess fallingto the new bottom portion of the compartment to mingle with any of the powder passing through the lower opening "35] from the storage compartment 15. The. brush may be inserted with the bristles directed downwardly and inverted with the container, or preferably it may be inserted with the bristles upward and thecontainer rotated about the brush to'inveitedposn tion.

In Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, a modified form of the invention is shown'in which there is provided a single inner partition !9' which extends from one "side to the other of the body portionl I of the container and divides the container into the two compartments l5 and i5. In this case, the side walls of the compartment 16' are identical with the side walls of the container body portion H, the side edges of the partition l9 being secured as at 26/ and 2'? to the inner surfaces of the wall portion I l. The upper and lower ends of the partition H are provided With the slots and notches 30f which perform the same functions as the openingstfi in the previously descii'bed e'mbodiment.

Th 'for m of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5' is'of a somewhat simpler and less expensive construction and the operation is exactly the same as in the case of the one previously described.

In 'Figuresfi and 7 Of the drawings there is shown a, further. modification of the device in which the dispensing. compartment l6." is disposedin the side of thestorage compartment l5, WhiQhi rem rom e o n The compartment [Bf is substantially frusto-pyramidal in hel eha ihe the d ehden walls" 1 C n; m i h pen ng it? with he sh nj inscomr partment H5" is the tubular passageway 35 having the walls 36 and preferably being of'rectangular configuration. The upper and lower walls l9" are provided with the openings v30" through which the powder passes into the compartment I8 and falls upon the brush which is in this case inserted through the opening 33" and the passageway 35 into the dispensing compartment l6".

In Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated one feature of the invention whereby there is provided supporting means for the brush .40 when it is not being used. The upper surface of thecover I2 is extended beyond the confines of the body portion l I as at 50 and is provided with an opening 51 having a narrower slot 52 com- .municating therewith. The slot 52 is of a width greater than the thickness of the neck portion 55 .of the brush but smaller than the width thereof. The Width of the opening 5! is also smaller than the upper bristle carrying part #6 offthe brush. This arrangement provides means where by the brush may be inserted edgewise through the slot 52 and then rotated to a sidewise posie tion in the Opening 5%) and thus supported in the position indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

It is understood that the expressions, top, bottom, upper, lower, side, andsimilar directional terms as used in certain of the claims, are merely relative, and are descriptive of the in; vention not only as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present application, but also of the same or similar devices whichar normally adapted to be disposed so as to rest upon of its surfaces. Thus, for example, the dispensing container illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the draw? inss, w v d wi h s able a ng clo ures, such as that shown at 34 in Fig. 3, might well normally rest upon its right-hand side. Similarly, the device might be disposed upon its lettehand side and the containers illustrated in the other figures of drawings disposed i normal idle-posh t onu o an th r urfaces Al it s hardl hec arv o a d at. the described operation of the device, the lowerportion becomes the upper portion upon inversion of the container a the upp r por ion. be om s t low por an i termino o y w lbe learl understood in the claims,

It is al o Ob that a st eher cl re 51 911; at s d s a e at .4. a he a plied to theqee iies 33 in Fig. 4.

Various ances and modifi a ons. e made in the embodiments illustrated and d e-.

rib d r n Wi hoh e a ting r m the-s f he h ih sde n b th f ow n laim i e, thus esc ib d he n ehtioo what. s Claimed a n w hddes redtqbe e nredz vhetr r a nt An ble. d sp sing qqhtahr rv or tooth powder or like material, which comprises in com bination a storage cpmpartmentand an; auxiliary me t a n si e. aid s ora e o pa e ment, a nin hr u h he-con a er 1111311 9 said auxiliary compartment at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; for; the insertion f a b u h r ike istri mehtal an relatively small openings leading from saidfstprage compartment intothe upper and lowerends respectively of said auxiliary compartmenh the Opening all the h n w r endv ro d eracs fi r a limited. mo htz material sm the hen bottom portion of; the, auxiliary compartment, w ic ater a l how r. dawn; pon-fieldintainer, and another supply of material will issue from said storage compartment into the new bottom portion of the auxiliary compartment,

to inversion, preparatory to a repetition of the inverting and dispensing process.

2. An invertible dispensing container for tooth powder or like material, which container is substantially symmetrical about a horizontal central plane, and has a storage compartment and an auxiliary dispensing compartment arranged side by side, an opening through the container wall into said auxiliary compartment at approximately the mid-point of the vertical length of the container for the insertion of a brush or like instrumentality, and relatively small openings leading from said storage compartment into the upper and lower ends respectively of said auxiliary compartment, the opening at the then lower end providing access for a limited amount of material into the then bottom portion of the auxiliary compartment, which material will shower down upon said inserted instrumentality upon inversion of the container, and another supply of material will issue from said storage compartment into the new bottom portion of the container, and another supply of material will issue from said storage compartment into the new bottom portion of the auxiliary compartment, which was the original top portion thereof prior to inversion, preparatory to a repetition of the inverting and dispensing process.

4. The container as set forth in claim 2 in which the auxiliary compartment is disposed opening with the auxiliary compartment passes through the storage compartment.

A dispensing container for tooth powder or like material, which comprises a lightweight, readily portable, merchantable package, having top, bottom, and side walls and provided with a generally vertically disposed partition extending from the top wall of the container to the bottom wall thereof and dividing the container into two compartments of substantially the same height arranged side by side, one comprising a storage compartment and the other an auxiliary, dispensing compartment, an opening in the wall of said auxiliary compartment which is on the 0pposite side thereof from said partition, said opening being spaced from both the top and .bottom of said container, and adapted for the insertion of a toothbrush or similar instrumentality laterally into the compartment toward said partition, and a small dispensing opening in the partition adjacent its lower end, through which a limited quantity of said powder may flow into the then bottom serted instrumentality upon inversion of the container.

6. A dispensing container for tooth powder or like material, which comprises a lightweight, readily portable, merchantable package, provided with a generally vertically disposed partition dividing the container into two compartments arranged side by side, one comprising a storage compartment and the other an auxiliary, dispensing compartment, an opening in the wall of said auxiliary compartment which is on the 0pposite side thereof from said partition, said opening being spaced from both the top and bottom of said container, and adapted for the insertion EARL M. SCI-IARA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,337,855 Renter Dec. 28, 1943 250,159 Mills Nov. 29, 1881 610,775 Thompson Sept. 13, 1898 1,289,446 Grifiiths Dec. 31, 1918 2,370,796 Kaye Mar. 6, 1945 1,280,654 Bream Oct. 8, 1918 

